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R. W. TANNBR.

PEDAL GUARD FOR PIANOS- No Model.)

Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD V. TANNER, OF ALBANY, NEXV YORK.

PEDAL-GUARD FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,006, dated December 9, 1884.

Application filed March 4, 1584. (N model.)

To aZZ who??? it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD W. TANXER, a citizen of the United States, residing atvAlba- -ny, in-the county of Albany and State of New 7 piece; and it consists in one part of a guardplate provided with perforations for its secure attachment to the pedal-bar of a piano, and with dovetail tongues projecting upward from the upper edge of said plate to adapt the same to hold with a detachable guard-bar, and in another part of a guard-bar provided with dovetail lips to adapt the bar to be readily at tached to the guard-plate; and, further, it consists of the combination, with a guard-plate adapted to have secure attachment to the wooden work of a piano at its pedals, and provided with dovetail tongues, of a guard bar which is-provided with dovetail lips which en gage with the dovetail tongues of the guardplate to hold the former in connection with the latter.

The ob ects of my invention are to provide means for protecting the polished wood of a piano at the vicinity of its pedals from being marred by the shoes or slippers 011 either small or large feet of operators, and to render detachable the upper portion of the pedalgua'rd, so that it may be readily removed at will for cleaning or polishing. I attain these objects by means of the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front view of the de tachable guard-bar. Fig. 2 is a view of the same from below,with guard-plate shown with edgewise view. Fig. 3 is a front view of the guard-plate. Fig. 4 is a view of a pedal-bar from its upper side with guard-plate secured therewith. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of pedal-bar, pedal-plate, and guard-bar when said parts or devices are arranged together for operation, and Fig. (5 is a front view of the same.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the guardplate, and B is the guard-bar. The guardplate A is made in the form of a thin flat piece of metal made with a width from about two or two and one-half inches and a length of about seven inches, more or less, or sulhcient other length to cover over an extent of surface ofthe wood of the piano against which the foot ofthe operator will usually touch when operating pedals P P. This plate is provided with pedal'recesses a a, extending upward from itS lower edge to a distance of about one and one half inch, and are located in the plate at such a distance apart as will correspond with the distance between pedals P P, as shown in Fig. 6. These recesses are made with a width of opening a little greater than the width ofthe pedals, so that the latter will not touch theside edges of the former when being operated. Blade with the upper portion of this guardplatc, at about its middle of length, is ear I), which is provided with perforations c. This plate is also provided with perforations c c, which are countersunk to' receive the screws for attaching the plate to pedal-bar D, to which pedals P P are pivoted. Projecting from the upper edge of this guard-plate, from points near the ends thereof, are dovetail. tongues d (1, Figs. 2, 3, and (3. p

The guard-bar '3 consist-s of a short bar of metal provided with dovetail lips e c, Fig. 2, set equidistant from the middle of the length of the bar, and at a distance apart corresponding with dovetail tongues d (7., so that the latter will engage with the former, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Madewith this bar, at its middle of length, is car f, which is situated between dovetail lips c a, corresponding with the situation of ear 1), between dovetail tongues d (Z. This earfis pierced with hole at, corresponding with perforations c in the guardplate.

Both the guard-plate and guard-bar may be made plain or ornamental, as may be preferred.

The guard-plate A is secured to pedal-bar D by screws 8 s, passing through perforations c c, with recesses a a at the usual pedal-openings in the pedal-bar. The guard-bar B is then placed in position on the guard-plate, with the dovetail tongues dd of thelatter engaging with the dovetail lips e c of the former, as shown in Figs. 2 and ('3, when erforated ear of bar B will be in situation over perforated ear I) of plate A. A screw, 8, will then be passed through perforationsf and Z) and screwed into the wood of pedal-bar D, when guardbar B will be securely held in connection with guard plate A, as pedal-bar D, yet be readily detachable by removal of a single screw, 8, when it is desired to clean or polish up said bar in all its parts without touching the polish of the wood of the piano. It preferred, the perforated ear I) may be omitted from guard-plate A, and screw m may be passed only through perforated earf of bar B and screwedinto the wood. When these two dcvices-plate A and bar B-are in place, plate A. operates to pre vent the shoes or slippers on small feet of an operator from touching the polished wood of the piano, while the said plate, together with bar B, operates to prevent those on the larger feet of an operator from touching the wood work when operating the pedals. If preferred, perforated ear I) on plate A and perforated ear f on bar B may be omitted when the dovetail tongues and lips are made to tightly engage with each other.

I am aware that plates provided with recesses through which the pedals work and secured to the pedal-bar of a piano are old; but such plates were not adapted to operate to hold a guard-bar in connection with the pedal-bar of a piano. I therefore denotclaim such old plates as my invention.

I am also aware that metal bars have been used with pedal-bars by being secured directly to the same, but such bars were not adapted to guard the polishedwvood surface at the pod als from being injured by the shoes or slippers of children or other operators having small .feet, and could not be readily removed for being polished. I therefore do not claim such old bars as my invention.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The guard-plate A, provided with perforations c c, for secure attachment to the pedal-bar of a piano, and having pedal-recesses (1. c in its lower portions, and provided with dovetail tongues made upon the upper edge portion of said plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The guard-bar B, provided with perforated earf, and dovetail lips c c, constructed and arranged,substantially as above described, for operations and purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with guard-plate A, having means for its attachment to a pedalbar and provided with dovetail tongues d d, of guard-bar B, provided with dovetail lips c c, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The combination, with pedal-bar I) of a piano, ot guard-plate A, securely attached to said bar and provided with dovetail tongues 11 (Z, and the guardbar B, provided with (love tail lips (3 e, and perforated car], all substan tially as and for the purposes set forth.

HIGH All-l) \V. TANK Eli \Vitnesses:

WILLIAM F. Taxman, ALEX. SnLninn. 

